October 24, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba'an 6, 1422

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NEW YORK, Oct 23 - A season-long duel that has lit up the world racing year reaches a fitting climax Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien’s Irish powerhouse Galileo takes on Fantastic Light, the elite of Dubai’s Godolphin operation, for the final time in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park.

A showdown between the stars of racing’s two global empires - Coolmore and Godolphin - is the finale of a mouth-watering $13 million Breeders Cup card that also features U.S. juvenile sensation Officer’s expected ordination as Triple Crown winner-in-waiting.

Security worries in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks on nearby New York City have scared off neither the connections of the world’s finest horses nor race fans. A crowd of 50,000 is expected for this major international sporting gathering.

Deprived of their own champion, Point Given, by a career-ending injury, the home team will have their hands full fending off the strongest Breeders’ Cup challenge ever to leave European shores, including Godolphin stalwarts Sakhee — fresh from dominating the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe three weeks ago — and Galileo’s old rival, Fantastic Light.

U.S. hopes of keeping their stranglehold on the $4 million Classic center on Bobby Frankel’s Aptitude, who catapulted from big-race journeyman to the very top flight with a 10-length romp in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park earlier this month.

Jockey Jerry Bailey is looking to add to record prizemoney of more than $20 million this year with a host of favored rides and Aptitude is just one.

Jay Robbins’s four-year-old Tiznow, who has struggled with injury since his win in last year’s Classic secured Horse of the Year honors, could also pounce if the raiders’ inexperience of running on dirt again takes its toll.

Europe is readying a double-barrelled threat in Epsom Derby hero Galileo - who roared past Fantastic Light to lift England’s midsummer showpiece, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes - and the Godolphin five-year-old himself who took revenge last month in a breathless duel for the Irish Champion Stakes.

O’Brien and millionaire owner Michael Tabor hope Galileo, running his first race on dirt and his last before heading off to stud, will make up for last year’s Classic misery when their ‘Iron Horse’ Giant’s Causeway lost out to Tiznow in the dying strides.

Victory would give the fabled Ballydoyle stable and Coolmore empire the last word in an epic tussle with Godolphin this season that first saw O’Brien plunder Europe’s classics before Fantastic Light and Sakhee’s exploits gave Sheikh Mohammed’s all-blue silks the upper hand.

In the juveniles, U.S. fans should roar home Bob Baffert’s emerging star Officer, whose five-race unbeaten streak is already exciting talk of the first Triple Crown winner in almost quarter of a century next year.

Officer faces his biggest threat from top European two-year-old, O’Brien’s Johannesburg, also undefeated in five starts, the last three at Group One.

O’Brien also sends out English St Leger winner Milan for another face-off with Godolphin in the $2 million Turf, where the Dubai team’s Sakhee, unless redirected to the Classic, will seek to emulate Daylami’s dashing win two years ago.

A high-octane field threatens seven-year-old stalwart Kona Gold’s bid to be the first dual winner of the $1 million Sprint, including Swept Overboard who ended Kona Gold’s seven-race winning streak earlier this month, as well as West coast speedsters Caller One and El Corredor.

O’Brien saddles European sprint ace Mozart, but only Sheikh Albadou a decade ago has tasted Breeders’ Cup glory for the visitors over six furlongs.

Godolphin have a likely favorite in Noverre for the Mile, one of the few dirt races where the visitors have enjoyed much success over 17 renewals of the Breeders’ Cup - this year relabelled as the World Thoroughbred Championships. —Reuters